Geese in water CWK Image

Goose Management

Goose Management in West Kelowna Parks

The Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program addresses concerns regarding public health, the local economy and the natural environment concerning invasive non-migratory Canada geese.

Questions and Answers

What does "invasive non-migratory geese" mean?

The geese that nest in the Okanagan did not originate in B.C. Geese were brought here in the 1960s and 70s with the idea of boosting the Canada geese population in the Western Canada. They nest in the Okanagan year-round, and if their aggressively growing population is not kept in check, it poses challenges for drinking water quality, natural vegetation, and indigenous aquatic species, including waterfowl.

Can I feed the geese?

No, West Kelowna has a bylaw prohibiting the feeding of all wildlife. Reasons not to feed geese include:

Overpopulation leads to increased aggression and competition with other waterfowl;
Large concentrations of geese can reduce water quality and devastate natural vegetation;
Geese become dependent on hand-outs — the young do not learn to forage for themselves;
Bread, crackers, and other processed food offer no nutritional value to geese;
Increased conflicts between people and geese — especially lots of goose feces in the park;
We are giving our children an incorrect message that wildlife can be treated like pets.

Do City staff relocate geese?

Yes, West Kelowna participates in a program where geese can be temporarily relocated away from busy beaches for part of the summer. Geese are collected and moved together to a more remote site that can support them, and where they won’t bother people. Biologists mark the geese with coded leg-bands to keep track of their movements and understand more about the population.

A goose nested at my house this year. What should I have done?

West Kelowna participates in a Valley-wide egg-addling program where nests are located and eggs are addled (i.e., humanely stopped from developing). Trained and authorized wildlife technicians conduct this service free of charge.